Simon Power National Party Law & Order Spokesman
24 November 2005
PCA needs more resources urgently
National's Law & Order spokesman, Simon Power, says the public is being let down by the Police Complaints Authority's inability to
investigate cases in a timely manner.
He is commenting on figures from Justice Minister Mark Burton that show the PCA is currently dealing with 2000 cases -
one of which has been on its books for six years, 39 for more than four years, and 635 for more than 18 months.
"This is unacceptable and goes directly to a matter of resources," says Mr Power.
"The public have a right to know that the PCA will deal with their complaints in a timely manner that is fair, and the
police themselves need to be assured the complaints are dealt with expeditiously.
"Like the rest of the law and order area, the PCA is obviously struggling due to a lack of resources, and it would be
nice if the Minister could give some assurances that more resources will be forthcoming urgently, rather than just
talking about reviews," says Mr Power.
"An efficient and fair Police Complaints Authority is one of the best ways of building public confidence in the police,
but this is clearly not happening right now."
ENDS